Description: What do you get when you drop the world's two most different spoiled young men onto a runway and tell them to fight? An all-out, nail biting display of chi mastery and next generation fighting fury. (Winner: Adelheid)
Adelheid Bernstein and Robert Garcia - two wealthy heirs with an international presence. While the fight that is to take place at the airport today is a massive hassle to people who have better things to do than spectate on a league fight, it's incredibly convenient for two wealthy men who have pressing engagements on opposite sides of the globe after a fight.
The designated area is a reserved strip of runway with camera crews already prepped and ready to film this odd spectacle. Neither of these fighters are legends in their own rights (yet), but both are speculated to be possible top-tier contenders in future championships, which has drawn an unusual amount of attention to this little fight regardless.
A small private plane touches down on one side of the strip, the crisp 'Garcia Foundation' logo on the side leaving little question about its passenger. A young Italian man walks down a wheeled boarding ramp in short order, shiteating grin already in place as he glances around his surroundings for a glimpse at his opponent.
A small commotion breaks out in the background as an AirCram economy class tilts over to the side as all the passengers crowd over to one side to get a better view at the same time.
o/~ Allow me to introduce myself...
Music plays... not the swelling classical symphonies and ominous organ epics his father favours and both members of his immediate family are oh so capable of playing, but rather a random sampling of more rocking refrains, pumped at a moderate volume into top of the line noise cancelling headphones, and subsequently into the ears of one Adelheid Bernstein. He doesn't arrive in the company jet, his ride is a dark helicopter, cutting low in the sky and no doubt alarming the air traffic controllers to high hell. Adelheid himself isn't really worried. His father's pilots know what they're doing. And if not, hell...; A crimson-eyed glance goes to the door, now slid open, breeze whipping by. ... he'll just have to jump.
Adelheid pays a last look to the laptop, secured to his fold-out seat at the side of the sleek chopper, the screen displaying, well... his study material. Not on Robert Garcia, no... but on Kyokugen Karate. The forms of the Tiger, of the Dragon, the arts melded by Takuma... it's all quite interesting, if... well. Overdone. Still, the old standbys are often the best, aren't they? Bernstein smiles a small smile in the dark cabin, alone save for the pilot and copilot up front, and he needs little cue as they whirr over the airport, unbuckling himself from his seat and slapping an adjustable metal clasp onto a rather resilient length of wire. With a pronounced 'whrrrr' entirely drowned out by the whizzing rotors, the 'R' lieutenant rapples to the ground, or nearly, slowing his descent by clenching the clamp onto the wire, and dropping the last ten or twenty feet without missing a beat, his diminished velocity still impressive as he lands in the middle of the tarmac, knelt on absorbing, impressively strong legs.
He may not care about the fans, but style and efficiency? Rugal expects such forethought. Adel? He simply pushes to his feet, brushing a hand gloved in black leather down the front of his equally dark, skintight shirt. A light, silver-etched jacket and matching, fatigue-style pants and boots complete the enigmatic paramilitary look. Efficiency and style... though who the hell knows where the purple leisue suit came from, dad. Adelheid's attention is levelled on the arrival of Robert Garcia as the fans get their proverbial money's worth, a calm half-smile touching his austere features.
This one should be interesting. And perhaps even have something to teach.
Stepping off the ramp, one of Garcia's eyebrows curling upward at the stylish entrance of one Adelheid Bernstein. Well well, seems like his opponent is already teaching him a trick or two already when it comes to entrances. No matter - as cool looking as the entrance one, it doesn't quite mesh with Robert's idealized laid back approach to things. On that same note, the fact that he's invested no time in ressearching his opponent at all becomes immediately apparent when his facial expression freezes - grin and all - when he sees the logo on that helicopter. "R"? Well, shit! Robert really didn't think there was a relationship between the two when he saw the last name, but judging from the face of his newly arrived opponent...there's definitely some form of blood relation here.
Suddenly, this fight looks like much more of a lose-lose proposition. If he loses, he loses. If he wins, that might just be enough to make Old Man "R" remember that he exists again. Damn it all.
Oh well! Robert reaches up to scratch the back of his head with a *much* more nervous grin than the one he was wearing a moment ago as he paces his way over to his opponent. "Well, you've certainly got more to your name than that voice over the phone would have suggested. Just as well, a guy like me doesn't bet better without some form of challenge!"
Dispensing with his display of bravado in the face of suddenly unexpected meekness from within, Robert bounces on his toes a few times before extending his arms in a casually defensive stance. "Let's see what you're made of, kiddo."
COMBATSYS: Robert has started a fight here.
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Robert 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Adelheid has joined the fight here.
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Adelheid 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Robert
Oh, so Robert knows the family name. Some would take pride in that, and many... many would expect the son of Rugal Bernstein to glean no small share of malevolent contentment from his opponent's sudden sobreity. Sure, his father is intimidating... but Adelheid's at least learned how to hide it behind a cool, one might say... ice cold exterior. The platinum blond shakes his bangs back after their rather windy trip down with a sharp toss of his head, and while his build may be effeminate... his voice a neutral, almost melodic, confident tenor... Adelheid Bernstein has no lack of the dense, one might say stacked muscle that is his bloodright. The buffest bishounen cracks his neck back the other way and steps forward, flipping the collar of his coat up, his smile broadening fram 'half' to 'full' as his rather unusual dark gaze meets Robert's steadily, "Hah." Polite and to the point, even with the subtle verbal jab, this Garcia. But a warrior of Adelheid's stature is a bit beyond being so easily baited... which is kind of odd for a teenage boy with a penchant for violence, isn't it?
"That was you? I thought I was speaking to your secretary." The Bernstein heir fires back, no malice in his voice. But it wouldn't do to miss the opportunity, now would it? And it's always interesting to see how an opponent responds to jibes. With Robert? Adelheid has a vague idea already, "Glad to see we're on the same page, though."
The firm agreement on the overall spirit of the match laid out, and the countdown executed, the runway klaxons flare this way and that, firing red and blue as the airport lights go off around the area, further delaying all those businessmen waiting to get off the ground. Robert's dad will love him for this. Adel? Adel plows forward as the strobe effect continues and the PA blares 'FIGHT!', all but gliding across the ground between himself, and where Robert prepares nearer to his illustrious jet. The Bernstein heir, if he has his way, will kick Robert right back /up/ that nice little staircase... or at least into the bottom, harshly ridged metal stairs! Bernstein comes in with a flying left snapkick aligned with the Kyokugen Dragon's jaw, the lithely muscled blonde whipping around in midair, seeking to plant that foot and follow through into a savage half-roundhouse, stepping forward into an axe-kick for Robert's jaw, the final lunge punctuated by an abbreviated, simply grunted kiai.
COMBATSYS: Robert dodges Adelheid's B's Destruction.
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Adelheid 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Robert
S-Secretary?! Robert isn't the bishie-faced goldielocks in this match! The Kyokugen fighter's brow twitches perplexedly in response to the insult, but his eyes remain alert and fixed on their target despite the epilepsy-inducing lights flickering all about the two...eyes recognize a bit of the Bernstein style in the lad right away. Which is to say, something that will probably hurt alot coming at you very very fast. Trained very well in what to do when something like that is coming, Garcia instinctually bounds to the side and leaves the son of his (painful) nemesis delivering a very smart looking series of kicks at the air he used to occupy.
What to do, what to do. Sure, this would be a good opportunity for a powerful blow in retaliation, but...well, Robert owes this guy for one-upping him on the girly-sounding remarks. His reaction? He quickly darts one arm forward to try and grab Adelheid by both sides of his jacket. Should he succeed in this endeavor, he'll simply spin on his heel, haul Adelheid into the air with the leverage, and flip him over his shoulder into the tire marks on the runway below. Choice quip: "Whoopsie-daisie~!"
COMBATSYS: Robert successfully hits Adelheid with Kubukiri Nage.
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Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Robert
There's a problem with the all-out offensive: it leaves one vulnerable when faced with alarming displays of agility and retaliation. Adel slams forward into nothing but thin air, as the wily Robert slips away... but not far enough away. One hand comes across, and Adelheid pushes back, seeking to dislodge Robert's grapple even before it begins... but in the end it's just not as quick as the Kyokugen fighter hefts him up. The platinum blonde loses his bearings mid-flip, and that, as they say in 'the biz', is that.
The Bernstein heir hits the runway hard, shoulders first, cracking hard into the unforgiving ground and rolling a sharp, half-forced tumble away, back into a three-point crouch.
His eyes snap upwards, locking once more on Robert, as a sharp breath fills his lungs, "Quick. Not bad." He congratulates, sliding forward into an extended sweep. It's not a feint, but neither is it the real threat, as Adelheid seeks to come in low, and catch the hopefully upturned or staggered Garcia about the middle, on one shoulder....
And powerslam him, falling forward to drive Robert headfirst into the runway, if he has his way. It's not a move one would expect from such a slight fighter, but should his grip be found? Adel will heft that Dragon like a greasy sack of potatoes, easy as pie.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Robert with Medium Throw.
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Robert
Garcia's grin from before clicks right back into place as Adelheid eats pavement, coming up from the downchuck with a stylish twirl for the spectators. "Booyeah. ...And thanks! I guess." Unsurprisingly, his opponent is quick to recover from the maneuver - Robert predictably tucking his hips in and hopping back a step. Too predictably, as he soon finds young Bernstein encircling his stomach and hurling his weight forward. There's a painful sounding crack as the man's head bounces off of pavement, leaving him dazed and staring up at the sky for a moment. ...And then he does something odd.
He laughs. "Well played!"
It doesn't matter that Adelheid returned the favor, he accomplished what he set out to do, which was to have a cheap chuckle at the man's expense. Now it's business. Despite the line of red still gracing his vision from the impact, Robert grits his teeth and hurls his weight up and forward, a hand moving to try and grab the man on top of him by the arm and haul him upward for the ride. If successful, he'll shove him forward while ducking low with the other shoulder, hopefully setting him up for a powerful uppercut that slices into Adelheid's with painfully sharp knuckles until the fist cracks home into his chin.
Or maybe he'll just stagger forward a few feet if the attempt fails and quickly turn in an attempt to throw up a defensive stance in time, who knows.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid interrupts Dragon Fang from Robert with Reppukyaku.
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Adelheid 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Robert
Robert is most welcome! ... to hit the tarmac nice and soundly, at least. Adelheid would normally release his grip immediately, but apparently, Garcia wants to hang on for the ride. He hauls himself up, as much as the Kyokugen Dragon helps, and by the time he's thrown away, his bearings are fully with him. Twisting a midair pirhouette as Robert launches himself fist-first upwards, the collision at point blank is less of the crushing of ribs Robert might have hoped for. As he launches away, Adelheid kicks back against his opponent's momentum, actually stalling his escape velocity as the potent fist crashes home... for just one jarring, painful instant as Adel's heavily booted foot concludes its swinging motion, summoning an impressive lance of ragged-edged, silvery wind chi that blasts right back over the Kyokugen fighter.
The entire exchange likely hangs in midair for most of the onlookers, or just passes entirely too fast, a blur of motion and reaction, culminating in that edge of raw silver that sends Adelheid into a rather graceful landing, despite the painful collision. As he lands, his moment is taken to simply draw a breath. .... this one's just getting started. Down to business indeed.
Robert's landing is much less graceful, on the other hand. Sent flying backward by the chi that tears into him, it's enough that he manages to strain to tuck himself into a ball and shield his kneecaps as he crashes into the pavement once more and rolls down the runway a few times. Well. That certainly wasn't how he pictured that exchange going!
Rising up to his feet once more, the Kyokugen fighter pauses to consider the distance between himself and his opponent, then simply lifts both fists so that they're parallel to his shoulders and concentrates. A small dust devil begins to form at his feet, which in short order becomes a small cyclone of orange energy that expands in diameter to encompass Robert himself. It's all well and good to have fun with your opponent, until you make yourself look like the fool in the end. As expected, younger as he may be, Adelheid Bernstein is an incredibly effective combatant. This calls for...alternate tactics.
COMBATSYS: Robert gathers his will.
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Adelheid 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Robert
Alternate tactics... that's more or less the fundamental principle of the Bernstein family of martial styles, and Adelheid adopts his own 'ready stance' as Robert flies free, a more or less casual, subtly shifting position keeping his fists clenched and ready. It's almost haphazard, compared to most, and impossible to attribute to any single style. The spike in chi is not missed by Adelheid, a blonde brow quirking slightly with the tremendous upsurge in chi, "Good." he murmurs simply, and with almost intuitive clarity, the young Bernstein's own inner chi begins to gather, swelling in a greyish, distorting whirlwind that erupts around him, roiling with ever-increasing fluctuations of raw power.
"Time to take it up a notch?" He doesn't sound the least bit worried, for his part. Nor particularly cocky... confident, focused, matter of fact. And apparently with plenty more to give.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid gathers his will.
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Adelheid 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Robert
Haphazard is exactly why this is best performed at a distance. As a defensive stance it offers little but the ability to cross one's arms and deflect the oncoming blow. Offensively? Well, that's a different story. As the chi winds its way around his form, some is gathered within while the excess is left to continue wafting up into the air above him, seemingly wasted. That is, until Robert's fists unclench and drop to the right side of his torso, the swell of chi both above and below his hands abruptly being sucked out of the air and into the space between his palms.
Garcia himself breaks the impasse with a sprint forward, a maniac grin gracing his features once more. "Something like that!" Thrusting his palms forward, the small sun of orange energy that had been concentrating between them abruptly flares to life in a large orange fireball. Despite the energy required for such an expenditure, Robert doesn't stop his sprint, the soles of expensive Italian footwear clacking loudly against the runway below as he chases the wake of his own projectile. What is that crazy Italian up to this time?!
COMBATSYS: Adelheid blocks Robert's Haoh Sho Ko Ken.
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Adelheid 1/---====/=======|==-----\-------\0 Robert
There's no missing that surging charge of energy that Robert focuses, or the tremors of its imminent, highly volatile explosion. As the channeled power blasts into that flaring sphere, Adelheid's eyes only narrow, locked on the charging Dragon. A fiery glint of his own comes as he slams forward just at the moment of impact, crossing both arms and pressing defiantly against the warhead of raw power. The fiery wrathful ball explodes through the swirling winds, erupts around Adelheid with searing fury, reddening the skin of his arms, burning with a roar in his ears. But it subsides, and all that energy Adelheid had gathered?
The young Bernstein smiles calmly, half-inwardly, and tugs one glove tighter, focusing it within. He doesn't move, save a single step backwards. Robert rushes onward, and Adelheid calmly watches, for all the instants he has left to watch.... that dangerous gleam still burning in his crimson eyes.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid focuses on his next action.
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Adelheid 1/---====/=======|==-----\-------\0 Robert
Not unexpected. He was hoping that the kid would eat it of course, but one can't keep their hopes up. Robert can feel how charged the air is with energy even at this proximity, and he's well aware of the strike to come. That careful studying, that self-assured smile...none of it is missed. He knows that this should be checkmate. He underestimated the guy, toyed with him more than he should have, and then there's the fact that the guy's just damn good.
But neither is this over, and Robert Garcia is a gambling man.
Suspecting very well what is to come, the Italian's charge ends in a forward knife-hand strike at Adelheid's palm lit with orange light once more - chi that would suggest that this is his intended money strike. A bluff intended to pull the wool over his opponent's eyes so that he can retract his hand at the last minute and swing his hip upward with the momentum to deliver a chi-charged roundhouse to the side of the Bernstein heir's head at the last possible moment.
It's a return of an earlier favor, only this time the odds at stake are much, much higher.
COMBATSYS: Robert successfully hits Adelheid with Ryuugeki Ken.
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Adelheid 1/=======/=======|=------\-------\0 Robert
Ah, and here comes the second charge of chi, levelled by that darting palm at... wait. Oh -CRAP-.
The platinum blonde weaves away, his head darting back with perfect alacrity, only to have his legs -exploded- out from under him. Tumbling away with the eruption of fiery power, Adelheid crashes into a chaotic tumble, wincing quite visibly as he crashes to the ground. One hand presses to the runway, and then he shoves more determinedly to his knees, and then his feet. A terse cough, and the young Bernstein spits a precise expectoration of bloody spittle aside, eyeing Robert warily, but wryly, "More than I thought you had left. But it'll take more than one surprise..." the amiable-enough challenge fades off into a gutteral cry as all that energy, still boiling within the 'R' Lieutenant, comes rushing to the fore. The ground before him erupts in a tumultuous storm of rampant, flaring silver-white energies, blasting about itself in rampant, tearing fluctuations the height of a man as the tidal wave blasts forward, illuminating the runway in a brilliant maelstrom of rampant, hurricane-force winds.
Behind the blast, Adelheid braces, both arms forward, every muscle in his body tense, his mouth letting out that fearsome, instinctual cry until the last bits of power are focused into the flaring column of tearing wind, blasting forth back at Robert.
COMBATSYS: Robert blocks Adelheid's Crown Prince.
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Robert
"....Shit."
It isn't just the force behind the attack that makes it alarming. Sure, impressive effort, dramatic visuals, huge wave of power cresting towards you. That'd be enough to make some fighters quake in their boots, but that's not all a Bernstein has to offer you. No, a Bernstein has to also hurl death at you with such speed and precision that your instinct is to do little more than stare with wide doe eyes as you're demolished by the pinnable of martial arts engineering.
Or, you could be like Robert who has dealt with one too many of these things and improvise like a madman with your own breed of fighting enginuity.
There's no way that a clean dodge would get him out of the way in time. Robert reacts more to the force projected by the attack than he does what is in front of his face, as he takes two steps forward and bounds into the air. Trying to jump over it? A nice thought, but there's no way that even he could hope to vault over such a wave of energy. Instead, his upper torso rotates forward in the beginning of a forward flip...only for his hands to extend outward, orange life flaring to life once again as Robert Garcia performs a chi-assisted handstand on Adelheid's Crown Prince.
That isn't to say that Robert comes away from it unscathed. Even with his own chi it's hard to completely overpower such a buildup of force, and his forearms sink a good foot into the energy wave as it passes. Wrenching himself forward with a strangled, if focused cry, he lands in a perfect crouch, blooded arms held out to either side of him as he takes a very, very deep breath, a satisfied smirk on his lips. From a spectator's point of view, that looked DAMN COOL.
But then again, this *is* Robert we're talking about here, so leaving things at that simply wouldn't be according to fate's plan. His solemn reverie of self-satisfaction is disturbed by a loud crash behind him and the sound of tearing metal, allowing him the opportunity to turn just in time to see one of his father's private planes collapse in on itself in two halves, the pilot clinging to his instrumentation panel for dear life.
Another sigh. This one is much, much less satisfied. "Damn it."
COMBATSYS: Robert focuses on his next action.
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Robert
COMBATSYS: Adelheid has saved the state of this fight.
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Robert
Alright. So, Crown Prince is racking up quite the destructive record, here. Sure, Robert may not get caught in the wake, but the plane, well... it may not have been the intended target, but really, it serves Garcia right for parking so close to the 'arena'. It's a pretty good bet that just about everyone is gasping at that instant, for any of a large set of cliamactic, inspiring reason... but the two fighters, against the odds and each others best efforts, are both ready to go an extra mile.
Alright, maybe closer to a quarter mile. The platinum blonde gasps several deep breaths as the rampaging energy subsides, watching the plane crack apart with almost analytical attention... thankfully, Robert is distracted by the destruction as well, so by the time Adel's eyes return to his opponent, he hasn't been blindsided by a raging charge.
"Shouldn't have gotten out of the WAY!" The young warrior protests, kicking forward with alarming speed and power, his body twisting subtly about as he leaps into the air, summoning a second, albeit MUCH smaller storm of silvery power. The cleaving lance arcs wildly along the runway as it crosses the distance towards the Dragon, threatening to rip his legs right out from under him.... sure, Adel might feel a little bad about his wayward Kaiser Wavealike... but the fight is still on, and he's going to need every chance to regain the advantage over his unpredictable opponent.
... and his Hulk Smash jet rage.
COMBATSYS: Robert overcomes Reppukyaku from Adelheid with Ryuugeki Ken.
- Power hit! -
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Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Robert
Indeed, it was a wasted opportunity, but Adelheid isn't the only one who just exerted a sizable amount of energy in that exchange, especially judging from the appearence of Robert's chi-torn arms. He allows himself another moment of quiet respite before rising to his feet again...and frowns in the face of Adelheid's protest. "Jeez, you really are your father's son." ...Whoops! Cat's out of the bag now, he probably shouldn't have said that.
Oh well, more pressing things on the mind and all. Like that second wave of inbound silvery wind-chi. Demonstrating that the two have more in common than just rich fathers, Garcia's retaliation is to study the incoming wave of chi closely, and then sweep his foot *through* it, the orange glow of the Dragon's Breath enveloping it once more. Not only does he overpower the attack, but he intuitively strikes at the weakest point int he attack, causing it to dissipate and actually feed into a return attack - a smaller fireball of orange that cruises down the runway on a direct course for the Bernstein heir. Will Adelheid be booking a last minute flight? Let's find out!
COMBATSYS: Adelheid reflects Ryuugeki Ken from Robert with Dark Barrier.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Robert
Father's son? Adelheid's brow hardens a bit, his jaw clenching firmly. ... what the hell. His red eyes all but blaze now, intensity rising to a whole different /degree/. These fights? This 'league'? It's not a contest, to Adelheid. It's a classroom. He learns, he tests himself, he could really care less what 'points' the coordinators and marketing department wants to assign him. But hey. If Robert wants to make it /personal/.
There could be any of umpteen million negative reasons Robert knows of Rugal, who really KNOWS what vendetta burns there, on either side of the fence. It doesn't really matter. Adelheid focuses, he redoubles his efforts, this is no longer about seeing what Robert can do. Whatever the reality? Rugal probably wants Robert beaten up. Not to mention, the Bernstein heir /hates/ being compared to the elder crimelord.
His footing secure, his resolve steady, the young Bernstein actually lunges -into- the flaring ball of searing orange fire, squaring one shoulder against it and thrusting the palm of his opposite hand out just beyond. The platinum blonde smiles a bit more tauntingly this time, just as a swirling coalescence of dark, rampant wind chi forges a nigh-instant barrier beyond his flexing fingertips. The fiery breath of the Dragon crashs hard against the spherical, oppositional power, and a rippling fluctuation of wildly luminescent chi shockwaves outwards in all directions, a reaving firework of arcing silver and brilliant orange. The shield swells, crackles with ever more power, and then /explodes/ back inwards, a rampaging column of conflicting chi erupting back the way it came. A shotgun loaded with pure, punishing chi, seeking to catch Robert at close range.
COMBATSYS: Robert slows Reflected Ryuugeki Ken from Adelheid with Ryuugeki Ken.
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Adelheid 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Robert
Of course, Robert's version of "father's son" might be different than Adelheid's version of "father's son", but miscommunications like that are just a little difficult to work out in the heat of battle. All Robert knows is that Adelheid suddenly looks noticably testy in response, and HE isn't the one who is going to have to explain to his father why his private aircraft was totalled! But, eh. Again, there are PRESSING MATTERS. This time it's his own artillery that he has to contend with, and damned if Adelheid didn't just one-up him in this tennis match. Brown eyes widen in response to Adelheid's manifestation of a barrier, and the speed at which the countermeasure is launched leaves him with barely enough time to register 'oh shit not again', let *alone* throw up his arms into a hasty chi-based defense of his own. Orange light from his palms crackle against the silver-tainted breath of the Dragon, deflecting a good portion of the attack's power but not to the extent that a bolt of light doesn't slip through his fingers and explode against his face anyway.
Robert staggers back for a moment, raising a bicep to wipe his eyes and leaving a potential opening for his opponent. A rather impressive display of chi usage on both sides, but it looks like Robert's was the first to crack from over-exertion.
See, there's a problem with miscommunications with teenage boys. They tend to get testy very quickly. And despite Adelheid's discipline, well... even so, it surprises Adelheid when Garcia manages to get his own chi in line once again. His own narrowed gaze snaps back open wide, and his arms flex strongly, focusing more of his strength into the trainwreck of chi. It takes a lot out of him, as well, but it is Robert who staggers back, and Adelheid merely eyes the dragon confidently, drawing a deep breath into his lungs... and coughing once, despite, "Your skill is considerable as well." Apparently the near-turnabout put the brakes to his pride, at least for the moment, "Looks like we're not done yet." It's evident Bernstein is mildly surprised by that fact, but it seems to be a pleasing enough revelation.
"Think you can keep up the quick footwork to the last, Garcia?" The Bernstein heir may not know what Rugal's beef with Robert is, but if the Kyokugen Dragon isn't at least a LITTLE off his guard by now, well... Adel will just conclude he's unshakable. All he does is hold his position, all too calm in the space of runway. The shield may be dissipated, but the platinum blonde doesn't give ground, merely staring down his opponent... or more likely meeting Robert's equally intent focus.
Already, spin doctors everywhere are raving about this match in the simulcasts. When it comes to prodigious talent, well... however kooky, Takuma's crew has it in spades. As for the slightly younger Adelheid? Well, hey. Anyone who thinks Rugal Bernstein is an incompetent trainer needs a Genocide Cutter to the crotch.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid gains composure.
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Robert
Garcia blinks a few times, glancing from side to side warily in anticipation of an attack, but in the end it never comes. Whew, thank goodness for small favors. The man straightens up, rolls his shoulders a few times, and fixes his gaze back to the features of his similarly winded opponent. The confident smile of the younger fighter is met with a haughty smirk; half arrogant, half-sportsman. "This has been pretty crazy so far, yeah. You've got the moves!" The man casts a glance down to both his arms, still an angry red with small streaks of dried blood, and shakes his head in disbelief. He never, EVER expected to see an attack like that coming from someone so young.
Returning his attention to the fighter, Robert pauses to consider his situation, then turns his hips to the side to bend down low to stretch one powerful leg, then the other. At last he comes up, flashing teeth as he replies to the last, "I'll definitely intend to give it a whirl, but no promises. Just keep your eyes open, bucko."
Yeah, that was alot of posturing by both, but the crowd is still eating up the dialogue. And come on, these guys earned a small respite after all of those crazy exchanges.
COMBATSYS: Robert gains composure.
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Robert
A slow, even, carefully focused breath. A second, and a momentary, slow blink of the eyes. This is the time that passes between when Adelheid finishes regaining his bearings, preparing himself to fight on... and the time when he answers the Kyokugen Dragon's words with a simple, "Bet on it!"
The cry comes even as the young platinum blonde is hurtling forward, from zero to hardcore sprinting in the blink of an eye, he crosses the distance seperating him from Robert with a leading, left straight. His right fist triphammers up from below, in at Garcia's ribs. The Dragon will have to give ground, or come back just as fiercely... and that's just what Adelheid wants. He feints into a weaving pair of jabs, and then seeks to plant another snapping uppercut to Robert's jaw. With quick left and right footwork courtesy of some armed forces boxing rings, if one wants to be a stickler about it. Those aren't boxing gloves covering the young Bernstein's surprisingly capable fists, however... Robert's still going strong, but hesitation isn't going to help the 'R' heir take him on.
COMBATSYS: Robert blocks Adelheid's Medium Punch.
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Adelheid 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Robert
One would expect Robert to be at a disadvantage in this sort of situation, having used the brunt of his arms to save him from the might of the terrible Crown Prince, but that leg stretching a moment ago clearly wasn't just for posturing's sake. As Adelheid dashes in, he's met with a brow that lowers an inch and a smile that widens. The first blow is met with his foot, which he pushes off against, the momentum used to clear some distance between himself and his assailant. Ever-persisent, Adelheid comes in with a series of jabs which are predictably side-stepped in turn. - the turn continues as the fighter once-again sidesteps another series of lead-in blows...but now that the two fighters have been appropriately introduced, they're starting to wise up to each other's tricks.
The uppercut never quite lands home, instead catching the back of the Robert's shoulderblade as he turns with the attack and clears Adelheid completely. In that split moment, that potential opening, the Italian man clenches a fist and bounds into the air with the momentum, seeking to drive his heel down painfully into the crevice between the fighter's neck and shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid blocks Robert's Light Kick.
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Adelheid 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Robert
Formidable. The perfectly executed Kyokugen arts certainly do the job, and Adelheid can't find a clean hit, this time around. Robert's footwork holds true to expectations, but the Bernstein heir is right with him every step of the way, his momentum building with each swift, deflected punch. As Robert leaps high, the Dragon's kick intercepts a remarkably dense, flexed forearm that rises in an angled block, Adel himself pushing off a half-step to the side...
But not without snapping his other hand up for Robert. Nothing fancy, nothing graceful, he doesn't have Robert's acrobatic flair, but hey... there's a certain grace in being very, very direct. isn't there? If he can secure a grip on Garcia, he'll haul Robert right back to the ground, catching him around the neck with one hand. Choke. Squeeze. That wouldn't be very comfortable. Neither would the lunging fist Adelheid would deliver to Garcia's ribcage to send him away harshly. No quips, questions, taunts...
t Time to go for broke.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Robert with Scorpion Blow.
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Adelheid 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Robert
OOF. Simple, sure, but damned effective and brutal in execution. Adelheid's grip finds excellent purchase in those fine Italian arteries of his - the man is pulled back to Earth rather uncomfortably. The real pain comes when Adelheid cracks him a sound blow that knocks the wind out of him and sends him tumbling backward. He does, surprisingly, manage to keep his feet.
One eye closed and brow lined with sweat, the darker-skinned man still manages to grin somewhat sheepishly in the face of his performance. "Not bad, not bad..." Steeling himself for what is to come, he gambles on Adelheid not expecting a sudden surge of forward movement and a lunge into the air, the Kyokugen fighter suddenly striking out with three alternating kicks to the blond's temple, chin, and collarbone in rapid succession. Only then does the fighter touch down, raising his hands in preparation for retaliation and attempting to hop back a step.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid interrupts Flying Whirlwind Kick from Robert with Genocide Cutter.
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Adelheid 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Robert
Not bad... not bad at -all-. The Kyokugen Dragon's thoughts are echoed in Adelheid, and while his anger subsided quickly, the young Bernstein's intensity has dulled little. A pronounced, perhaps exerted grunt sounds defiantly as he knocks Garcia back, flexing his arm back to his side and gritting his teeth momentarily. Unfortunately for Robert... it seems the 'R' Lieutenant actually /wanted/ his opponent to press the attack so fiercely.
Adelheid doesn't retreat, he simply drops low, legs bending into a crouch which fluidly launches him into the airborne Robert. The karate expert's first fearsome flying kick rams harshly into the rising Bernstein's collarbone, nearly knocking him right back out of the air.
... the two collide fully, the time hanging for that passing, slow-motion moment until Adelheid's momentum holds true, and then redoubles, his entire frame twisting about as his right foot arcs upwards, a fearsome reversing axe that launches him up like a rocket, the cleaving path of his heavy military boot gleaming brightly.... rippling outwards... and momentarily exploding with a ravaging edge of brilliant white chi, as the battered Adel rises gracefully skyward.
... Robert is flying coach this time. Very, very coach.
Up Robert goes. Up, up, up. Spin, spin, spin. But what began as a haphazard spiral upward abruptly rights itself at the last moment as the fighter reaches into his pocket, the Kyokugen fighter landing on his feet with a painfully controlled solidness.
The grin on his face at this point trespasses the line of goofiness and dances on the border of sweet, blissful mania. It's been a good, solid, fight. He's not going to disgrace the Kyokugen name with one final cry of defiance. What he *will* do, however, is go for one strike of pure spite. His body strains from its exertions and wants to quit, but as usual, Robert Garcia just isn't going to let it. It has one more job to do before it can call it quits. He shoots for a combination of a luck, determination, ferocity, and sheer surprise.
For you see, when Robert Garcia lands on his feet, he immediately springs forward at Adelheid into a picture-perfect Genocide Cutter. He's seen, and felt, that move enough times for that memory of his to spontaneously correlate the two.
That doesn't stop his fingernails from drawing blood inside of his pocket as he clutches that coin of his, of course. He needs *everything* to make this work, even what he doesn't have but can seize from Lady Luck herself.
COMBATSYS: Robert can no longer fight.
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Adelheid 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Robert successfully hits Adelheid with Ryuu Zanshou.
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Of course, it probably doesn't help that Robert lands on his ass immediately afterwards, but it's really the thought behind it that counts. Kisses from heaven~.
There's one problem with launching oneself up all dramatically skyward, and that's when the target of your ultimate, painful superkick decides to get his bearings back BEFORE he crashes helplessly to the ground, and as Adel drops back to the runway, the airport sees a second unscheduled takeoff, the Dragon's cleaving leg cracking hard across Adelheid's abdomen and chest, and sending him crashing backwards, arcing rather unpredictably through the air before crashing back-first into the ground. It is indeed surprising, but not enough to keep the platinum blonde down.
One palm presses to the ground, the arm beyond it flexing, and the Bernstein heir begins to push himself back to his feet, even as Robert crashes down out of his improvised attack, "Hah." the young warrior chuckles momentarily, looking to where Robert fell, "One hell of a fight... " he would say 'but this one's over', but he's interrupted by the announcer calling the fight, instead. Not particularly concerned, the dark uniformed Bernstein begins to stride towards the outskirts of the airport... his copter should be making another pass soon, "I'm sure we'll see you again, Mr. Garcia." Sure, it's not especially nice. But he can't resist. He even sounds JUST sinister enough to not be sure if you were just threatened. So sweet.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid takes no action.
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COMBATSYS: Adelheid has ended the fight here.
As Adelheid turns and walks away, he's met with something surprising. A laugh, a roar of amused laughter that almost borders on mocking. "...Ha ha...oh man. Yeah, I'm sure we will, buddy. Enjoy the flight back."
Sure, Robert Garcia lost. His dad's plane was ruined and he'll have a hard time explaining that one. But there is one thought that keeps him *gleefully amused* beyond all explanation.
The thought of one Rugal Bernstein watching his son on live television getting hit by his own trademark attack. That makes losing almost worth the cost...not to mention the possible reprecussions for his opponent when he gets home. o/~
Log created on 18:15:02 07/10/2007 by Adelheid, and last modified on 19:48:42 07/22/2007.